Please pray for Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures Japan. Kinugawa river flooded and devastated so many residential areas on Sep. 10. We still don’t know the whole picture of its damage.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-10/japanese-city-floods-as-more-than-100000-evacuate/6765562
We have a report from the Relief Committee of Japan Evangelical Alliance. There have been no damage for churches in Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures so far. Some Christian houses in Joso city were damaged and they already evacuated.
Here is a video of Joso city on Mainichi newspaper’s website:
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150910p2a00m0na007000c.html
Heavy rains moving up north and we are reported that some rivers flooded in Tohoku, especially Miyagi prefecture. CRASH Japan is collecting information. Please keep praying for the survivors.
On November 24th and 25th of November the 4/14 Window movement arrived in Japan culminating a year of preparation with the first national conference encouraging a focus on children for God’s kingdom.
Japan Servant Team Coordinator Reiko Sugimoto
Pastors Nam Soo Kim and Herman Mendoza from Promise Church in New York, Jess Curabo of AWANA Asia and Ruby Johnston of World Without Orphans were international guest speakers joined by dozens of locals who led practical workshops or shared the importance of children and youth from a Japanese perspective.
4/14 Window co-founder Pastor Nam Soo Kim
The reality of the Japanese context is that nearly half of churches no longer have a regular children’s ministry. This is partially due to the changing demographics of Japan’s population that has steadily become silver, but in the church it is even more extreme.
For humanitarian organizations like CRASH Japan and Samaritan’s Purse it means that local churches are more likely to be connected to the elderly than responsive to the needs of children in their communities. Since both the elderly and children are the most vulnerable when disasters strike it is paramount that the church serve both and build up trust and relationship with children and the elderly before a crisis.
Servant Team Coordinator Ayako Lawrence (Samaritan’s Purse)
The 4/14 Window Movement has made a good beginning in Japan. Our hope is that over the next few years regional groups could be formed to bring the focus on children to every part of Japan.
CRASH Japan’s child trauma program OperationSAFE joined twenty-six organizations in Seoul to collaborate to explore rescue plans for North Korea
SEOUL, Korea (October 23, 2014) — A consultation initiated by Cornerstone Ministries International with 26 other ministry organizations resulted in several core values established for delivering the Gospel to North Korea: “Servanthood,” “Faithfulness,” and “Management by Obedience to God.”
This was agreed to by everyone at the gathering, with an ultimate goal of furthering an indigenous, self-sustaining church in North Korea that is holistic, healthy, and Christ-centered.
The consultation led to three rescue scenarios:
Scenario 1 – current situation remains the same;
Scenario 2 – the country opens up;
Scenario 3 – Collapse.
The consultation also explored 11 possible ministry tasks: 1. Disaster Recovery, Child Trauma, Food; 2. Medical intervention; 3. Church Planting; 4. Bible and Literature Distribution; 5. Children/Youth/Family Ministry; 6. Communication; 7. Leadership Training; 8. Prayer (Intercession & Covering); 9. Community Development; 10.Foundations; 11. Ministries.
The focus of the consultation is illustrated in 1 Chronicles 12:32 “… men that had an understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.”
One example of action considered in Scenario 3, with a possible sudden collapse in NK would be: Disaster Recovery Team deploying rapid assessment teams and mobilizing global disaster network response. Child trauma teams would launch camps in two months and run for two years. Volunteers would need to be mobilized for response, along with a Food Team bringing food into the country with local distribution during the crisis. Additionally, medical teams would be organized to rescue refugees from health threats and supply medicine to existing health care centers.
All who were gathered committed themselves to advance their action plans and to participate in the upcoming “Mayday Mayday Mayday” conference to be held on April 29~ May 1, 2015.
NK consultation delegates are inviting others who share this vision to join in partnership. The criteria for inclusion in the partnership is Kingdom theology, integrity, and Christ-like character. Please join by going to www.rescuenk.org and signing up for partnership.